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Posts published in “FUTA/FUI/Federal Unemployment”

Surprise FUTA Tax Bill is in Our Future

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Under the provisions of the American Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA), a federal tax is levied on employers covered by the Unemployment Insurance program at a current rate of 6.0% on wages up to $7,000 a year, paid to a worker. The law, however, provides a credit (basically a discount) against federal tax liability of up to 5.4% to employers who pay state taxes timely under an approved state UI program. Therefore, the employer pays an effective federal tax of 0.6% or a maximum of $42 per covered worker, per year. During times of high unemployment claims, a state may…

Little Known Successor Rule Means Big Tax Savings

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There are tax credits and savings all around us, but if you do not know what to look for or have an experienced tax adviser, you may be missing out.  One rarely known tax savings is the Successor employer rule.  The regulations can be found under IRS Code 31.3121(a)(1)-1(b), and there is a single, small paragraph that makes mention of it in Publication 15 Employer’s Tax Guide, but I will give you the rundown here.   If you have purchased or looking to purchase a business, then this is definitely one you do not want to overlook. Most employer taxes are…

Thinking about a PEO? Think Twice.

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While I am biased, as President of PayMaster, a payroll service provider, I do find the rare case for a business to utilize the services of a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) or Employee Leasing as it is sometimes referred to.  In my opinion, there are only two reasons for a business to utilize a PEO, and that is in regards to Health insurance and Workers’ Compensation insurance as we will discuss.   If the PEO route is the decision then I strongly recommend proceeding with caution and do your math, taking into consideration the big picture of the financial cost.  This not…

2017 FUTA Tax Credit Reduction States Announced

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Under the provisions of the American Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA), a Federal tax is levied on employers covered by the Unemployment Insurance program at a current rate of 6.0% on wages up to $7,000 a year paid to a worker. The law, however, provides a credit against federal tax liability of up to 5.4% to employers who pay state taxes timely under an approved state UI program. Accordingly, in states meeting the specified requirements, employers pay an effective Federal tax of 0.6%, or a maximum of $42 per covered worker, per year. The credit against the Federal tax may…

Employing Family – A Potential Tax Savings

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While there are many factors to consider when hiring family members, there may be a few advantages from the payroll tax perspective.  But, only if you are aware and perform the necessary overrides in your payroll system or notify your payroll service provider. Let’s break this down into the types of family relationships as the advantages are different for each. Parent employs Child – If the child is under the age of 18 and works in their parents business, their wages are not subject to Social Security (OASDI) or Medicare taxes  This only if the business is setup a sole proprietorship…

Potential FUTA Credit Reduction States Announced by DOL

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Under the provisions of the American Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA), a Federal tax is levied on employers covered by the Unemployment Insurance program at a current rate of 6.0% on wages up to $7,000 a year paid to a worker.  The law, however, provides a credit against federal tax liability of up to 5.4% to employers who pay state taxes timely under an approved state UI program.  Accordingly, in states meeting the specified requirements, employers pay an effective Federal tax of 0.6%, or a maximum of $42 per covered worker, per year. The credit against the Federal tax may…

2016 FUTA Tax Credit Reduction States Announced

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Under the provisions of the American Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA), a Federal tax is levied on employers covered by the Unemployment Insurance program at a current rate of 6.0% on wages up to $7,000 a year paid to a worker.  The law, however, provides a credit against federal tax liability of up to 5.4% to employers who pay state taxes timely under an approved state UI program.  Accordingly, in states meeting the specified requirements, employers pay an effective Federal tax of 0.6%, or a maximum of $42 per covered worker, per year. The credit against the Federal tax may…

Death of an Employee and Wages

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The death of an employee is a difficult time for any business.  Grieving co-workers, loss of productivity, and finding and training a replacement are just a few of the factors a business will need to deal with, but one area that is often mishandled is the treatment of wages and payroll. How payroll is handled is all about timing, and I can break it down into three distinct parts. Part 1 – Wages earned and paid prior to the death For wages paid to the employee prior to the death, where the payroll check remains uncashed, a stop payment should…

FUTA Tax Credit Reduction 2015

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Under the provisions of the American Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA), a Federal tax is levied on employers covered by the Unemployment Insurance program at a current rate of 6.0% on wages up to $7,000 a year paid to a worker. The law, however, provides a credit against federal tax liability of up to 5.4% to employers who pay state taxes timely under an approved state UI program. Accordingly, in states meeting the specified requirements, employers pay an effective Federal tax of 0.6%, or a maximum of $42 per covered worker, per year. The credit against the Federal tax may…